


had you figured out

by aroceu



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: (since this takes place during gof...), (they're both underage in the muggle world, Bath Sex, Canon Rewrite, Character Death Fix, Frottage, Happy Ending, Hufflepuff is awesome, M/M, Recreational Drug Use, but Cedric is an adult in the wizarding world so yea)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:27:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroceu/pseuds/aroceu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Professor Sprout definitely has a cannabis garden somewhere in the greenhouses.</p><p>This isn't about that, though. This is about how one day Cedric invites Harry Potter to smoke with him and some other Hufflepuffs, and they get through the Triwizard Tournament together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	had you figured out

**Author's Note:**

> um I lost four hours of sleep writing this on my phone. simultaneously inspired by the idea of Hufflepuffs smoking, Cedric smoking, and then Cedric inviting Harry to smoke. Also because Cedric/Harry is probably one of the most important ships ever because GoF was a blessing
> 
> obligatory note on how the title is from a Taylor Swift song! "Haunted" because - well. and before you ask, no I could not resist sly attempts to refer to Cedric's otherwise canonical death.
> 
> this fic is happy throughout with a happy ending, though. I promise you.
> 
> thank you to [rachael](http://archiveofourown.org/users/gayacidbaby) for editing, u r a doll ♥

> _"Who’s Cedric - your boyfriend?"_  
>  \- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
> 
> _"everyone knows their house motto is 'hufflepuff puff pass motherfucker'"_  
>  \- twitter user @heatshields

 

Potter looked lonely; without Weasley at his side, it was like he'd lost a limb. Cedric could tell that that Granger girl was doing all she could to make up for their trio's missing third. But Potter's loneliness was overwhelming.

It didn't help that one reporter - the Skeeter woman wouldn't stop bothering Potter to the point that he either avoided Tournament meetings entirely, or stayed in the corner with his head cast down, squirming away. After another inane interview, Cedric decided to check up on him.

"Alright there, Potter?" he asked.

Potter stared up at him, dark fringe brushing against his eyelashes. "Alright," he said, sounding bitter.

Cedric chuckled. "No need to treat me like that. We're both Hogwarts Champions, yeah? That means we have something the others don't."

He glanced at Delacour and Krum, before leaning in closer to Harry. He whispered conspiratorially, "An alliance."

Potter stared at him for a moment. Then he smiled. Nervousness had washed away, and he looked better. "I suppose," he agreed, before wandering off.

Cedric didn't spend too much time worrying about Potter after that, though. His housemates kept asking him about the tournament, like Cedric had any bloody idea what the first task would be like. People had _died_ in other ones, he'd heard. Anxiety bit at him as the days grew closer.

It didn't help that some students, especially Slytherins such as that Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, seemed adamant on destroying Harry's good name in favor of Cedric. It wasn't fair. Neither of them had chosen to be Champion, especially Harry who, after a bit, Cedric believed didn't put his own name in. If anything, degrading Harry to make Cedric look better was disgusting and not at all in favor for their school.

"If you're supporting the _true_ Hogwarts Champion," he said, as he passed by Marcus Flint wearing one of those disgusting flashing neon badges, "you'd be supporting the both of us."

Regardless, Potter kept his head down and Cedric didn't hear much from him on the matter. One day, though, as Cedric was picking up his books that had mysteriously fallen out of his bag, Potter found him.

Cedric's friends were gone, which he was glad for; they all had the "POTTER STINKS" badges he'd told them repeatedly to stop wearing. At least Potter, who'd been looking more and more downtrodden as of late, didn't have to see them.

"Hi," Cedric said breathlessly, as Potter approached. "My bag just split... brand new and all."

"Cedric," Potter said, "the first task is dragons."

Cedric stopped and frowned. "What?"

"Dragons," Potter said hurriedly, "They've got four, one for each of us, and we've got to get past them."

This Cedric hadn't expected; all the anxiety he'd been feeling before was now placed with a sense of overwhelming.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Dead sure," Potter confirmed. "I've seen them."

Cedric's brain was racing. "But how did you find out? We're not supposed to know - "

"Never mind," Potter said quickly. "But I'm not the only one who knows. Fleur and Krum will know by now - Maxime and Karkaroff both saw the dragons too."

Cedric straightened, still clutching his things. "Why are you telling me?"

Potter's eyes widened. "It's just... fair, isn't it?" he said. "We all know now... we're on an even footing, aren't we?"

His face was bright and honest.

A sudden warmth flew into Cedric's stomach.

"Thanks, Potter," he said. Then: "Look, actually, d'you want to spend time with me and my mates tonight? Hufflepuff Basement, it's our common room. I'll meet you outside."

Potter had been backing away already, a startled then passive expression on his face. "No, sorry," he said, and, "Thank you, but..."

"Honestly, Potter," said Cedric, stepping forward. "You've been looking miserable without that Weasley around, and - I know some Hufflepuffs might be arses to you, but I'll hex them if they are." He grinned. "I said before, we have an alliance, right?"

"I..." Potter's eyes were shifting around.

Cedric rolled his own. "Potter, I'm not going to ambush you right after you've told me what the first task is. Surely you've heard things about us Hufflepuffs."

Then Potter's face broke into a small but hesitant smile. "I have," he said. "The front, you say? Where's that?"

"Near the kitchens, by a barrel," said Cedric. "You can't get in yourself, so I'll have to let you in. Eight o'clock. And I promise, I know a spell that turns vocal chords into a donkey's if anyone even glares in your direction."

"Thank you," said Potter, and he looked like he meant it.

*

Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on how you looked at it - a majority of Cedric's yearmate friends didn't care for civility with Potter. There were fourth years, though, who claimed to know and like Potter, so Cedric didn't mind smoking with them once he told them to get rid of their "SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY" badges. It was embarrassing.

Potter looked lost standing outside the common room at around eight, and relief passed over his face when Cedric appeared.

"I wasn't going to come," he said, "but then I did and didn't know where the kitchens were, so I asked Fred and George, and you can't always trust things _they_ say, so."

Cedric chuckled. "You're in the right spot," he assured Harry. "C'mon."

He tapped the barrel he'd come out of, lightly so that the rhythm was hard to distinguish. The entrance popped open. Cedric bent down to crawl through, and as he furthered down the tunnel he heard Harry follow.

"Hufflepuff's brilliant," Cedric said, pawing through the tunnel. "If you tap the wrong barrel, or the beat wrong, you get sprayed with vinegar."

"Oh, ew," said Potter. Then: "It's easy to get into Gryffindor, you just need to know the password and the portrait. Everyone already knows it's the Fat Lady."

Cedric grinned. "Ought to give me the password then, too, so I can sneak in sometime."

"Yeah?" Potter asked. "And do what?"

"I dunno, turn your red and gold into black and yellow."

They crept into the common room, which had mostly been deserted since Cedric mentioned Potter visiting. He was confident that no one would allow this to be an out of house rumor, because as loath they felt towards Potter, it was Hufflepuff housemate business only.

The only ones left in the common room were Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Justin, and Zacharias - all but the latter of which had talked about knowing Potter. Zacharias Smith was just bothering Ernie for a smoke.

"Give me the blunt already, dammit," he was saying as they entered.

"You literally just had a puff." Ernie brought the cigar between his lips, and inhaled. He exhaled when he saw them, and smiled. "Hi Potter."

"Hi Ernie." Potter was eyeing him dubiously. "You look... relaxed."

"It happens," Susan commented, as Ernie purposefully passed the roll to her and skipping an indignant Zacharias. "Once in a while."

Potter chuckled, but he was staring at the blunt in her hand.

As it went around, Cedric curled his knees between his arms and said, "Sorry again for my other housemates. And the Slytherins, I guess."

Potter shook his head. "I know it's not your fault. And, well, Malfoy's a prat."

Cedric grinned.

Justin said, "You can't blame them, it's not like we actually know anything, who knows if Potter put his name in the Goblet or not, anything's possible."

"Justin," Hannah said, after taking her hit, "I swear to Merlin if you say another word like that about Potter no one will let you smoke again tonight again and also, I will hex your toes off."

There was a silence. Then Zacharias, who had just exhaled after his turn, said, "I'll let you smoke, I don't care about Potter."

"Yes, you do," Cedric said, and Zacharias shut up.

He passed the cigar to Cedric next. Cedric inhaled, letting the smoke fill his lungs.

Potter asked, "So - er - how'd this - what - ?"

"Oh," Ernie said, and then laughed heartily, like they were all sharing an inside joke. "Professor Sprout grows cannabis in one of the greenhouses. She lets us some every night."

"Every night?" Potter's eyes were wide.

"For the whole house," Cedric pointed out. "And in a cauldron that's Charmed to be visible to the older students once third years and below aren't in the common room."

"She says we deserve a break," said Susan.

Cedric offered the blunt to Potter. "Want to try it? You don't have to, you know."

Potter stared at Cedric's hand, considering. Then he said, "What the hell, so many already people want me dead," and took it.

Cedric said, "I don't want you dead," but Potter didn't respond. He pulled away coughing, some smoke coming out of his mouth.

"You didn't do it right." Hannah looked amused. "Keep sucking, and then let it out your nose."

Potter tried again. This time he coughed marginally less as he passed it to Ernie.

"I don't understand," he said to Cedric.

Cedric smiled. "Wait till you feel a buzz."

The cigar went around once more. After Potter's third time, he said, "I feel lightheaded."

"No more for you, then," Ernie said. Justin was taking a hit now, looking less sulky and sobered as he played with Hannah's braids.

Potter smiled at Cedric. He kept doing so, and when Cedric passed the blunt onto Ernie again, he asked Potter, "How're you feeling?"

"I dunno," Potter replied honestly. "Everything feels like there's no weight. Nothing holding me down."

Cedric chuckled. "Yeah, it's great."

"Is this why you're always so damn happy?"

Cedric laughed, as did the others. "We aren't," said Cedric, "though less stressed about Quidditch and exams."

"I play Quidditch best stoned out of my mind," said Zacharias.

Cedric gave him a light shove. "You play out of your arse stoned out of your mind," he said.

Zacharias just blushed and shoved him back.

Potter watched them, still grinning, as they made several more rounds.

"I wish Gryffindor had something like this," he said. "Then Ron wouldn't have a stick up his arse all the time."

Cedric raises an eyebrow. Potter hastily added, "Well maybe not all the time. But lately."

"We don't want to hear it, Harry," said Susan, even though Ernie looked painfully interested. "This is a Gryffindor-free zone."

Potter giggled. "But I'm a Gryffindor."

"Not tonight," said Cedric. "Tonight you are an honorary Hufflepuff."

A few more rounds later, Potter asked, "How do you do this so much?" He'd moved closer to Cedric on the rug somehow, his eyes big and glossy and green.

Cedric replied, "By doing it so much, of course." He took a drag, blunt caught between his fingers.

Zacharias had passed out a while ago; Ernie was talking with Susan and Hannah while Justin seemed to be focused on an essay.

Potter was staring at Cedric. Cedric's eyes dropped to Potter's mouth, red in the firelight.

He leaned in and exhaled, kissed, warm and moist. Potter's mouth opened automatically against his, and when Cedric briefly flitted his eyes open, he saw that Potter's eyes were closed, nose smushed against Cedric's cheek.

Cedric pulled away. "Sorry," he murmured. "This kind of atmosphere... it makes me do that sort of thing without thinking..."

"I, um," said Potter. "I liked it."

Cedric put the blunt in the forgotten cauldron, then put his palm on Potter's warm cheek and kissed him again. Potter's hands were on his own thighs, kneeling, and Cedric's fingers wandered behind Potter's neck. Lips fluttered, Cedric's tongue felt the outline of Potter's teeth, and Potter was responding hazily, like it was all second nature.

"That's not my first snog," he said, when Cedric pulled back.

Cedric blinked; Potter's glasses had become crooked at some point. "When was it?"

"Five minutes ago, when you first did it." Potter looked amused.

Cedric's cheeks warmed. "Right," he said. "Was it alright then?"

Potter nodded, quite enthusiastically. "I like the," he said, and gestured to Cedric's mouth. "Taste," he said, after a moment.

"Ah," said Cedric. "Well, I will also say with confidence, Potter, that I am quite good at kissing."

Potter beamed at him.

Then it was growing too late and Cedric had to walk Potter back up to Gryffindor tower, as Potter swayed and fell down when he first stood up. Potter stopped them in front of a portrait of a fat woman, and whispered, "Here it is."

The fat woman was asleep. Cedric joked, "Now all you have to do is tell me the password."

Potter smiled. "Balderdash," he murmured.

"Well that wasn't a genuine request, Potter," said Cedric, amused. "I didn't expect you to."

But one of the fat lady's eyes opened, and she said, "So late, Potter?" before swinging open.

There was a hole behind, glowing into what was the very obvious Gryffindor common room.

Potter leaned in and whispered in Cedric's ear, "Balderdash."

"I got it the first time." Cedric grinned down at him.

Potter was staring, seemingly fixated on his lips.

"Oh, Potter," said Cedric, and leaned in to press one more kiss to Potter's mouth. Potter responded eagerly, standing on tiptoe, his glasses pressing into both their faces.

When they broke apart, Potter muttered breathlessly, "I almost hoped Ron would catch us."

Cedric smiled and pushed him toward the portrait hole. "Go to sleep, Potter."

*

Cedric didn't have much of a chance to be around Potter after that; what with the first task and the intoxication of the first task lingering around the Hufflepuffs ages afterward. He was determined to figure out the mystery of the golden egg, though - possibly to repay Potter's debt.

Potter had done impressively well on the first task - a broom, how had neither Cedric nor Viktor thought of that? He didn't seem to be having any luck with the egg either, though. Cedric hoped Potter wouldn't feel obligated to help Cedric out again.

However, one evening while pondering over the egg, Cedric brought it with him into the Prefect's Bath. As he adjusted the bubbles, it accidentally fell into the water. Cedric was about to pick it up, when he heard a warbling from inside.

He ducked his head down in the water. Unmistakeably, he heard a melodic tune:

" _Come and seek us where our voices sound..._ "

It was brilliant, and it gave Cedric an excuse to talk with Potter again. Or, perhaps, pick up where they left off.

Potter was laughing with Weasley when Cedric found him again. Cedric was happy for him, but he couldn't help interrupting, "Ah, Potter, can I speak to you for a moment?"

Immediately Potter's face turned stony. Weasley looked confused, but Potter said, "You can talk to me now."

"In, er, private," Cedric said.

Weasley glanced at Potter uncertainly, but Potter nodded. Weasley glared at Cedric as he left, but Cedric didn't care.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Potter burst, "Look, if this is about that other night, don't bother, I don't want to hear it - "

"No, it's not," Cedric said, then frowned. "Erm, what don't you want to hear?"

"How you're sorry, or how it was a mistake, or - "

Potter cut himself off, and refused to meet Cedric's eyes.

"I don't feel that way at all," Cedric said, tilting his head to the side. "I'm not sorry, or - anyway, I'll explain tonight. I figured out the - Potter, look at me."

Potter did, though warily.

Cedric said, "Go to the fifth floor, left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered. Password's pine fresh. After supper. I'll be waiting."

"What?" said Potter.

Cedric was already starting to leave. "And bring your egg!" he called.

It was best leaving pleasant surprises as surprises, he figured. He'd already undressed and was playing with the bubbles when Potter came in, and squealed at the sight of Cedric naked.

"A little warning next time!" he said, shielding his hands with his eyes.

"Sorry," said Cedric. He slipped into the tub.

Potter uncovered his eyes and looked around. "Is this the prefect's bathroom?" he asked.

"Yep," Cedric said. "C'mon, take a bath with me."

Potter narrowed his eyes.

Cedric laughed. "With your egg too, of course."

"Because that's why we're here," said Potter.

"Right."

Potter stripped and Cedric respectfully looked away; then Potter was entering the bath, his egg in one hand. He gaped at a large white bubble as it floated by.

"It's fine," said Cedric, wading towards him.

Potter shook himself out of his reverie as Cedric approached. "So," he said. "You've figured it out?"

Cedric nodded. "Yeah. But I'd rather show you."

Potter said, "I don't know if I can trust you if you say that."

"Potter, really," said Cedric. "I'm repaying you. I'm in your debt, aren't I? Now," he continued, ignoring Potter opening his mouth in what might've been protest, "you've opened your egg right?"

Potter nodded. "But all it is is screaming."

Cedric started for Potter's egg. "May I?" he asked, and Potter let him. "Come under the water with me."

They both took deep breaths, and then ducked under. Cedric opened the egg.

" _Come seek us where our voices sound,_  
We cannot sing above the ground,  
And while you're searching, ponder this:  
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,  
An hour long you'll have to look,  
And to recover what we took,  
But past an hour - the prospect's black,  
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back."

"What," Potter said, when they came back up for air.

"Merpeople," Cedric said excitedly, still clutching the egg tightly. "Potter, we have to fight off merpeople."

"I," said Potter. "I think I'll need to listen to that again."

So they did, and a couple of more times before it registered in Potter's brain.

"'Too late, it's gone, it won't come back' - so, whatever they'll take, it'll die?"

"Don't be morbid, Potter," Cedric chuckled. "Dumbledore wouldn't allow it."

"True," Potter murmured.

Cedric was suddenly very aware on how close together their bodies were, much less than a metre till they were touching. The egg in his hand was separating their bodies, and Cedric brought that arm to his side to move even closer.

"Cedric," Potter started, but Cedric was already inching forward until he closed the gap between them. Potter tasted like treacle and mint. Cedric swooped his lips down to catch Potter's bottom lip in his mouth.

Potter had brought his hands up, now kissing back. Cedric had dropped the egg at some point, was now holding Potter's face gently. Below them were the muffled sounds of the merpeople's song, nearly muted by the bubbles and the slickness of their mouths on each other.

Cedric slid his open mouth against Potter's jaw, the slight of his neck, sucking.

Potter breathed, "Cedric."

A deep heat was pooling at the bottom of Cedric's stomach, his cock aching underwater. Their thighs jostled and Cedric felt that Potter was nearly in the same state. Potter whimpered as Cedric ran his hands down Potter's sides.

"May I?" Cedric whispered to him.

Potter's breath came out strangled. "Okay."

Cedric's hand found Potter's erection easily. He slid it against his own, and Potter let out a little moan like he was trying to press it back. Cedric's breath hitched against Potter's collarbone. He pressed their cocks together, and rubbed. Potter rutted in awkward rhythm against him.

"Shit, Potter," Cedric said, and laughed.

Potter opened his eyes and blinked at him. His eyes were bigger and greener without his glasses.

"Harry," he said.

"Harry," Cedric agreed.

And Harry came first with a shudder and not much resistance. Cedric, who'd never done this with anyone else before, at least pressed his orgasm back until it was coming out through grunts against Harry's shoulder. Harry was holding onto him as if Cedric might let go when he was done. His fingers were hard against Cedric's arms.

"Right," Cedric said breathlessly, and then laughed.

Harry smiled, too.

"Cedric," he said, "will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Oh." Cedric's stomach sank. "I'm sorry, I - I'm going with Cho Chang. I owe her a favor."

Harry's eyes lowered in disappointment for a moment, and then he lifted them back up. His lips were pressed into a puzzled smile.

"Weird," he said. "I would've asked her next."

"I'm sorry, Potter," said Cedric. "Harry," he corrected himself, and Harry looked grateful. "I'd love to. Just, other plans, yeah?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

Cedric brushed a stray bubble from his hair. "I'm sure you'll find someone nice to go with," he said.

Harry responded by kissing him. They weren't as wet as before, at least until Cedric brought his hand out of the water to cup Harry's face.

Faintly, they might've heard a giggle.

*

Cedric started inviting Harry to smoke with them again, and in return, Harry provided him with Gryffindor common room passwords. Not that Cedric needed them; he wouldn't change the decoration, obviously. He didn't have anything against Gryffindor.

Harry talked about Weasley and Granger, who'd apparently had a weird not falling out at the Yule Ball. He ranted about Professor Snape and Draco Malfoy and people trying to kill him. In return, Cedric snogged him until all Harry could say was ask Cedric to kiss him again.

Eventually he asked Harry, "What do you expect me to do with these Gryffindor passwords?"

Harry's smile was shy. "I dunno. Visit me sometime, I guess?"

So then Cedric did, although it was almost one in the morning. Even the Fat Lady was too tired to be bothered with Cedric's charm, and swung open immediately. Cedric briskly made his way through the common room, and eventually found the boys' fourth years dormitory.

He peeked through the canopies until he found Harry's familiar dark head, messy and fast asleep.

"Harry!" he hissed.

Harry lifted his head slightly. "Wazzat?" he mumbled.

"Dolt." Cedric fell into bed with him. "It's me, you git."

Harry smiled and happily murmured, "Cedric." He fitted his lips onto Cedric's immediately, and Cedric wrapped his arms around him as he kissed back. They snogged until Harry seemed a bit more awake, and pulled apart.

"What're you doing here so late?" he whispered.

"Well I don't want to be caught, do I?" Cedric said. "Hufflepuff Seeker, prefect, Hogwarts Champion - "

Harry laughed and leaned up to kiss his nose. "To visit Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, also Hogwarts Champion."

"True," Cedric agreed. He wove his fingers through Harry's hair absentmindedly.

He kissed Harry again, which soon turned to him slipping off Harry's nightgown as Harry disrobed him. They were a mess of jumbling mouths wandering each other's bodies, absent groping that moved further southward at the expense of small needy moans. Then Harry's arse was in his face, Harry's small mouth warm and wet around his cock. Cedric licked at him until Harry was practically crying as he came. Harry's sucking became only more vigorous before Cedric's spunk shot deep in his throat.

Harry adjusted himself back up, head against his pillow. He observed Cedric for a moment, before he spoke.

"I did it," he said quietly.

Cedric was still muttering quiet cleaning charms. "Hm?"

"That day, when your bag broke and I told you about the dragons," said Harry. His face was pressed into Cedric's hair. "I broke it so I could see you alone."

Cedric smirked, and set his wand down. "You didn't know what you were getting yourself into, Potter."

"I guess." Harry was quiet for another moment. And then: "Is Cho really the most precious thing to you?"

"What?" Cedric suppressed a laugh.

Harry fidgeted. "Well you went to the Ball together, and then the Second Task..."

Cedric shook his head. "She beat me in a Seeking game and the deal was that I take her to the Yule Ball as my date," he said, and rolled his eyes. "But she's a good friend, too. We snogged for a bit, too."

"At the Ball?"

"Not recently," Cedric added the same time Harry asked.

"Oh." Harry seemed content with this. "Okay."

Cedric played with Harry's hair.

"I also," Harry said, "kind of lied about not knowing where the kitchens were. Well, I didn't know where they were. But I knew where you were, because of..."

He leaned over to his bedside and grabbed a scrap piece of parchment. He said to it, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

And Cedric saw that it wasn't a stray piece of parchment after all.

"Harry," he breathed, "what the hell?"

"It's a map of the castle," Harry explained. "I saw where you were, and I just. Went to you."

Cedric stared. There were names floating around everywhere. "That's us," he said with a grin, pointing to _Cedric Diggory_ and _Harry Potter_ practically on top of each other in the Gryffindor tower.

Harry blushed. "Yeah."

Cedric examined more of the Map. "Who's that?" he said, pointing in one of the rooms. He couldn't make out the name quite well.

Harry leaned forward. "Barty Crouch?" he said. "What's he doing in the school?"

Cedric realized where he was. "And what's he doing in Professor Moody's classroom?"

Harry gasped.

"Is there a Moody on the Map?"

Cedric scanned as quickly as he could, and then remembered there was a spell for this sort of thing. He cast it, but nothing showed up.

"No," he said.

Harry jerked out of his bed, and grabbed for his nightgown.

"We have to see Professor Dumbledore," he said. "Now."

*

At some point Hannah and Susan started snogging. Ernie and Justin were watching with some morbid fascination, until Granger cast them in full body binds. Weasley was busy trying to take a proper hit from the blunt Cedric had rolled earlier.

"I've got it this time," he said, and Harry laughed.

"Maybe," he said, sticking out his hand.

Weasley looked grumpy as he handed the cigar over.

Harry passed it to Cedric first. Cedric said, "Sorry the rest of my housemates are arses. You won the Tournament fair and square."

"Only barely," Harry said. "If you hadn't decided to be a _hero_ and save me from that giant blast-ended skrewt - "

"Then you would've been burnt to a crisp!"

"I don't need this many Galleons, Cedric."

Cedric grinned. "Use it to buy weed of your own."

Harry leaned in and kissed him. He tasted proper like pot and Cedric drank it up. Eventually Harry climbed on his lap, all the more lighter, deepening the kiss and sliding his fingers into Cedric's robes.

"Oi," said a voice, and Weasley's eyes looked bloodshot. They realized he wasn't talking to them, though; Granger was gawking at them openly.

Granger noticed Weasley talking to her, and covered it up by starting to kiss him. Weasley squawked as he fell over.

Harry laughed. "That should save them from the trouble of a couple of needless years of drama," he said.

Cedric tucked a long piece of hair from Harry's glasses to behind his ear.

"What d'you say we get out of here?"

Harry nodded eagerly, and they crawled through the tunnels and back out.

"It's a good day for Quidditch," he said. "The pitch is back to normal, did you see?"

"I haven't." Cedric grinned. "You should show me."

They walked toward the front doors. Harry said, "Wait here," and then, " _Accio Firebolt!_ "

"What now," Cedric teased, "Am I a dragon?"

"Yes, and your, er, head is the egg!"

"My head?" Cedric said, and they both giggled.

Harry's Firebolt came zooming between the stairs.

"My broom's in the shed," Cedric told him, "because _I_ don't have a fantastic racing broom people might steal."

"Well," said Harry.

"I'm jealous." Cedric grinned. "I can't believe I beat you in that match last year that led you to getting this."

"It wasn't your fault," Harry said.

"Harry, are you _apologizing_ for owning a Firebolt?"

Harry shrugged sheepishly.

Eventually they were at the Quidditch pitch. Cedric still felt faintly buzzed, the afternoon summer air a mild weight around his ears. As soon as his broom was in his hand, he couldn't wait to fly; it'd been too long.

Harry was taking deep breaths when Cedric came back. His eyes were closed.

Cedric crept by his ear. "Want to practice Krum's wronski feints?"

"Yes," Harry said, his eyes opening.

They both took off on their brooms.

Cedric never felt more alive. Harry was better at the feints on his Firebolt, bounding up and down. Cedric managed soon enough, mimicking him.

"And here I thought we might have to call Krum over to help!" he shouted.

Harry whooped as he flew past him. Cedric laughed.

They raced for a bit, and then later let out the Snitch to practice. Harry got it almost every time of course, but Cedric slipped off the top half of his robe so it wound around his waist once, and Harry crashed into a stand as Cedric's fingers ran easily around the Snitch.

"I'll use that one against you in games," Cedric grinned.

Harry's response was to fly into Cedric so that they both started heading towards the ground.

Cedric kissed him as soon as they were down; the faint taste of smoke still lingered in Harry's mouth, along with the cold sweat from flying.

"Are you staying at the Weasleys' this summer?" Cedric asked.

Harry shrugged. "I hope so," he murmured.

"Well," Cedric said, and took Harry's face in his hands, "whether you are or not, write me, okay? And I'll try to visit."

"How?"

"I live close, remember?"

"Not that close." Harry rolled his eyes. "I nearly had a stitch in my side, walking to that damned Portkey."

"I'll Apparate then."

Realization dawned on Harry. "Oh," he said. "Right."

Cedric kissed him, then pressed their foreheads together. "We've had a hell of a year," he said.

Harry smiled. "I've had worse."

*

_I was talking in my sleep last night, according to my cousin. He said I kept calling out your name. "'Cedric, Cedric!'" he said. "Is that your boyfriend?"_

_I told him yes._


End file.
